Towards The Future, Bravely 1–3
Three decades of battling for love, luck and money on several levels from Viennese municipal housing to a castle near Salzburg. Three decades of Austria, starting when the dirt crust of the Third Reich is finally scraped away. Beneath it we find
The Vinelouse Empire (1953-55)
Nice and not-so-nice people live there. They want to be someone again, but as inconspicuous as possible. Their new national anthem has them march „towards the future, bravely“.
Many are chiseling a new life – women who find true love as „army whores“; homecomers who lost more than just a war; obstinate youngsters who go underground armed with electric guitars; old Nazis with new enemies; communists believing in world peace; aristocrat girls marrying to be free; Jews returning because they want to make up for the others' crimes; small-time crooks trying to hit it big, preferably by
Pussyfooting (1963–65)
Everyone has more or less adjusted to the way things are – in a country where keeping a low profile is the virtue most aspired to.
The proletarian Redlichs have to resign to the fact that the new system is basically run by the same old smart guys.
The Berkowitz family, owning a prosperous factory, obviously adapt in more sophisticated ways.
The Ulmendorffs, as impoverished aristocrats, either still fight the new world order, or, in good faith, stumble along evil ways.
Among them, the unscrupulous parvenu Otto Hasak strikes out full-heartedly. And then, suddenly, everything is
Completely different (1974–76)
Austria no longer is a trial base for the Apocalypse, but, contrary to the pope's opinion, it isn’t "The Isle Of The Blessed", either. With the social democrats reigning, the man on the street has more air – which doesn't help much if one has to learn to breathe first.
The smart guys of yesteryear still prove that the ignorance of power doesn't show more than the power of ignorance.
HS
To present the everyday life of Austrian families over the span of a decade at a time, to show that grandma's youth can be truly exciting is a tough, but beautiful challenge. I was very pleased with the brilliant cast and the success the films had – the German press even described it as the true sequel to The Third Man. Let's see if the series will continue…
Three decades of battling for love, luck and money on several levels from Viennese municipal housing to a castle near Salzburg. Three decades of Austria, starting when the dirt crust of the Third Reich is finally scraped away. Beneath it we find
The Vinelouse Empire (1953-55)
Nice and not-so-nice people live there. They want to be someone again, but as inconspicuous as possible. Their new national anthem has them march „towards the future, bravely“.
Many are chiseling a new life – women who find true love as „army whores“; homecomers who lost more than just a war; obstinate youngsters who go underground armed with electric guitars; old Nazis with new enemies; communists believing in world peace; aristocrat girls marrying to be free; Jews returning because they want to make up for the others' crimes; small-time crooks trying to hit it big, preferably by
Pussyfooting (1963–65)
Everyone has more or less adjusted to the way things are – in a country where keeping a low profile is the virtue most aspired to.
The proletarian Redlichs have to resign to the fact that the new system is basically run by the same old smart guys.
The Berkowitz family, owning a prosperous factory, obviously adapt in more sophisticated ways.
The Ulmendorffs, as impoverished aristocrats, either still fight the new world order, or, in good faith, stumble along evil ways.
Among them, the unscrupulous parvenu Otto Hasak strikes out full-heartedly. And then, suddenly, everything is
Completely different (1974–76)
Austria no longer is a trial base for the Apocalypse, but, contrary to the pope's opinion, it isn’t "The Isle Of The Blessed", either. With the social democrats reigning, the man on the street has more air – which doesn't help much if one has to learn to breathe first.
The smart guys of yesteryear still prove that the ignorance of power doesn't show more than the power of ignorance.
HS
To present the everyday life of Austrian families over the span of a decade at a time, to show that grandma's youth can be truly exciting is a tough, but beautiful challenge. I was very pleased with the brilliant cast and the success the films had – the German press even described it as the true sequel to The Third Man. Let's see if the series will continue…